ceramicsmsmc2020

 This is one of Steve Tootell’s works. I chose this piece because I really enjoy the glaze/art work on it. I love the contrast between the red, black and bronze. I really enjoy the shape of it as well. It seems as if the bottom is rounded.

 Steve Tootell is an internationally exhibited ceramic artist. He uses the funds from his work to donate to various humanitarian projects. He is mainly an art educator. He graduated from Liverpool University.   

  The piece that had caught my attention was this red, black, and white cup. The sole reason it caught my attention were the colors. I liked that the entire body of the cup is colored with red and black. As for the top, the dark body makes the white seem very bright. As simple as it is, I just really love the colors. If I had this cup, it would have become my favorite everyday cup!

 Steve Tootell is a contemporary potter. He has programs at Sacred Heart which coordinate fine art, speech, drama, dance, economics, and ceramics. He is also a contracted professional musician who produces and records student and professional bands. I picked this ceramic dish set because I think the glaze over it is interesting. 

Steve Tootell was born in Bolton England in 1953. He attended Chester College (Liverpool University). He went to be a pottery teacher at International School of the Sacred Heart in Japan in1984. In 1986 he was the coordinator of Artscape International Student Exhibition and also the coordinator of the World Art Educators Workshops in Tokyo and Mashiko. Also in 1986 he was the Head of Creative and Performing Arts at International School of the Scared Heart. He has also help numerous group and solo exhibitions in London, Cumbria, San Paulo, San Bel and Tokyo. 

Robert Arneson was born in 1930 in Benicia, California. He worked for a local newspaper as a cartoonist and eventually went on to go to California College of Arts and Mills College in Oakland. Arneson made a new approach to functionality, creating ironic and humorous versions of household objects such as phallic seaports, telephones, surrealist busts and non-functional pots and pans. Arneson won awards for his work and had many exhibits. Some awards he won were the American Academy and Institute of Arts and Letters, and the American Craft Council. Some shows Arneson was a part of was the Institute of Contemporary Art In Chicago, San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, Institute of Contemporary Art in Philadelphia. 

  Robert Arneson was an American sculptor and professor of ceramics. He is widely admired for his groundbreaking work in ceramics which he believed should not be contained by utilitarian concerns.  This willingness to break boundaries and the wry sense of humor that infuses much of his art brought him notoriety as being among California’s “Funk” artists. He  created several self-portraits in mixed media, including mirrors, photography and drawings, each of which presented the artist in a different way and, sometimes, seemed to suggest a different personality. I chose this piece because I really like the detail of the face, specifically the etchings that created the facial hair. I also think it is interesting how he used two bricks to bring together a full face.

  Robert Arnesson was a famous sculptor and ceramicist, he was considered to be the father of funk.  Arneson and several other California artists began to abandon the traditional manufacture of functional ceramic objects and instead began to make nonfunctional sculptures that made confrontational statements. I chose this piece of art because i was so impressed by the details that are involved in making this scultpure. Also it seems to have a strong message because of the use of the knife and gun. It is a very creative piece that would require a lot of talent and skill when working with the clay.

Robert Arneson, also known as the father of Funk Art, was an American sculptor and ceramicist. He abandoned the manufacturing of functional ceramics and instead made nonfunction sculptures. He is best known for the Egghead series, which was sculptures of faces. These heads made statements that were seen as confrontational at the time. Each of his head sculptures closely resembles the inspired person and was seen as an autobiography for that person. This piece above is one of Robert Arneson's sculptures. I really liked how subtle the face is. Some of his other sculptures have an obvious face etched in, but this one is more subtle. 

Steve Tootell is an educator, internationally exhibiting ceramic artist and recording and performing musician. Many of Steve's exhibitions have funded humanitarian projects throughout the world. Over time he has personally donated over 35,000 dollars to organizations he has worked closely with. This piece stood out to me because I loved the colors and the little bit of texture all around it really gives it a beautiful look. 

  Robert Arneson was an American sculptor and professor of ceramics. Arneson and several other California artists began to abandon the traditional manufacture of functional ceramic objects and instead began to make nonfunctional sculpts that made confrontational statements. This piece by Arneson was made in 1992 called Head Lamp. I just thought it gave off a funky vibe and was definitely something different that I haven't seen before. I like his style because it isn't the norm, his work became known as "Funk Art".

  Steve Tootell is an educator, ceramicist, and recording and performing musician. His exhibitions have funded humanitarian projects around the world, and he has donated over 35,000 dollars to different organizations. A few of these organizations include: Feed the Children, World Wildlife Fund, Artists Without Boarders, and Kids Earth Fund Vietnam. I liked this piece because of the shape and the design on it.

Steve Tootell is an educator, a ceramic artist, recording and performing musician. Many of his exhibits have funded humanitarian projects throughout the world. He has personally donated over 35,000$ to organizations that he has closely worked with. Steve also teaches art based off of 2D and 3D designs to many students and continues to work with many charities. I chose this design because I like the fish on it as well as how it fades from the light brown to the dark brown.   

  The piece that I have chosen is titled "Fatal Laughs." As I looked through the different pieces done by Robert Arneson, there were a few that stuck out to me, this piece being one of them. There is a lot of things going on in this piece. You have a gun, a knife, an arrow, snot, as well as his eyes not looking like eyes. I wanted to comment on the gun first. The gun looks like it came straight from a cartoon. The way it has the smoke near the barrel and the line of shot from the bullet looking like liquid is interesting! It must have been done to keep the gun in the air. The next thing I like is the knife. it somehow reminds me of Juilus Caesar (I have no idea why). The way the knife looks is also cartoony. My last point of interest is his eyes. He obviously has no eyeballs but whatever is occupying the space in his eyes is captivating. This is a self-portrait of Robert and I wonder why he portraited himself as a man with a knife in his back, an arrow in his chest, and a gun...

 Robert Arneson was an American sculptor and ceramicist. He was born on September 4, 1930 in Benicia, California. He is considered the Father of Funk Art, the anti-establishment movement. He studied at the California College of the Arts. He also worked as a cartoonist for a local newspaper. He is also remembered for his art series called "Eggheads", where he sculpted bizarre faces and installed them around the UC Davis campus.

 Robert Arneson was an American sculptor and a ceramics professor at UC Davis. He is very well known for his pieces and they can be found in public and private collections around the world including the Art Institue of Chicago, The Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, and the Honolulu Museum of Art. He established ceramic sculpture programs for Art Departments at schools. He died on November 2, 1992 from liver cancer. There was a park established in his memory. I picked this piece as my favorite because it is very abstract and many people could have many different explanations for what it is. 

 Robert Arneson was a ceramicist that was called the father of Funk Art. I noticed that that much of his work were ceramic portraits of himself. I also noticed that the ceramics of himself always had his tongue sticking out. That one of the main reasons I chose this piece. I think the ceramic and painting of it is incredible. I also relate with the image because it is my go to face for funny pictures. I think his work is incredible and very different from traditional ceramicist. I’ve also noticed he tends to have a lot of phallic objects in his work.

Robert Anerson was a American sculptor who is considered the father of funk. Anerson received that nickname for his funky designs that he would use on his sculptures. He was born on Sept. 4th, 1930 in  California and studied his craft at California college of arts.  He then went on to be a professor  of ceramics   at UC Davis where he established the Ceramics and sculpting program there. He is most popularly known for is egghead series that is found all over the UC Davis campus. Anerson died on  November  2, 1992 from liv er cancer but his legacy is spread all around the globe for people to see his creations. 

Robert Arneson was a brilliant ceramics artist in the 20th century and is often referred to as "The father of the Ceramic funk movement". Arneson was a very influential ceramics professor at UC Davis for nearly 3 decades. He established the ceramics program there after he was initially hired to teach the design class. His work is shown all over the world. This American sculptor dominated the art world in the 60s and 70s with his transformative technique when it came it simple, overlooked, everyday objects.

  (Mayor George Moscone) Robert Arneson was an American sculptor and ceramicist. He was a cartoonist for a local newspaper before he went on to study at California College of the Arts. He was a ceramics professor at UC Davis for nearly three decades. While he was there, he established the ceramic sculpture program. His work is in major institutions around the world such as the Chicago Art Institute, the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden in D.C., the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, and the Smithsonian American Art Museum in D.C.

Bernard Howell Leach was a British studio potter and art teacher. Leach attended the Slade School of Fine Art and the London School of Art and then became interested in Japan so he returned there. After some time, he came back to England in 1920 and established The Leach Pottery studio with Shoji Hamada. They also constructed a traditional Japanese climbing kiln which was the first built in the West. This teapot is one of Leach's works of art. I really liked the craft of this teapot, specifically how the spout is shaped and the addition of the little base legs that the teapot sits on. The designs on the teapot are also pretty interesting, but subtle as well. 

 Bernard Leach was a British potter who influenced many contemporary ceramic design. He promoted pottery as a combination of western and eastern arts. His work mainly focused on traditional Korean, Japanese and Chinese pottery. He published a book called A Potter's Book which talked about Leach's craft and techniques. I was very impressed with the specific piece of Leach's because of the texture and design that was used. It looks like the sides are overlapping with each other and just made the pot that much more interesting. I could only imagine the technique and kill Leach must have possessed in order to get the pot to look like that. 

  Bernard Leach is known as the "Father of British Studio Pottery". In 1920, Bernard Leach and Shoji Hamada founded the 'The Leach Pottery' Studio. This studio is still considered today to be the birthplace of British studio pottery. This vase is one of Leach's works of art. I really like the shape of the vase, as it is different than traditional vase shapes. I also really like the colors he used to decorate. While they contrast each other, they also look nice together. 

Before Robert Arneson began sculpting, he spent most of his life as a cartoonist for a local paper. He was most remembered for his large egg head sculptures. One of his most famous works is a bust of George Moscone, whom was the Mayor of San Francisco who was assassinated in 1978. He also taught at many schools. The image below is known as "Split Lick" and I chose it because I thought it was very different and cool that it was half one face and half another. 

  Bernard Leach was a British studio potter who was widely known as the “ Father of British studio pottery”. Leach was born in Hon Kong on January 5th 1887 and passed away May 6th 1979 at the age of 92. Leach received his education at the Slate school of fine art in London. He was part of the 6th generation of Japanese potters working in the tradition of the Ogata Kenzan. He then went on to earn the title Kenzan VII after denoting the 7th generation. Then in 1920 he returned to England and linked up with a fellow potter named shoji hamada to establish leach pottery school in st.ives England. There they showed how to make traditional Asian pottery.  

 I was definitely able to see the difference in style between Bernard Leach and Shoji Himada. I chose this work because I really like the shape and the double loop handle. I really enjoy the art work on this pot. The style really jumped out at me and I really love the blue against the spotty white. I really enjoy the painting on most of his work. This art work is labeled Leach in America.

  One thing that I found interesting about the video was how old school and traditional Hamada would make the pottery. His old school techniques of how he would hand spin the dial and craft it all by hand. He would also use a huge fire chamber to heat the pottery that amazed me. Also I couldn’t believe how much his pottery would sell for after they were finished.  

Bernard Leach was one of the most influential potters of the 20th century. His technique, artistry and collaborations with other artists made his work very well known and popular. Leach was born in Hong Kong in 1887 and he had a very unique upbringing as he moved around a lot and was in the care of multiple family members. He never excelled in school and only took interest in art classes and sports. He enrolled in a prestigious art program in London but unfortunately was forced to cut his schooling short when his father was diagnosed with cancer. After his fathers passing Leach took up a banking position to support his life with his future wife/cousin Muriel. Soon after he resigned from his career to draw and paint. He studied under Frank Brangwyn at the London School of Art and honed his artistic skills. His work only grew from that point forward and he developed a passion for ceramics. He dedicated his time to learning new techniques regarding brushwork, throwing, and different firin...

  Bernard Leach was a British studio potter and art teacher. He is known as the “Father of British studio pottery”. He was born in Hong Kong but moved around a lot during his early life. When he was 21, he enrolled at the London School of Art where he began etching. In 1911 he was invited to a raku party, which was a pivotal time in his life, this is when he got involved with ceramics. For the next 2 years he studied under Urano Shigekichi and learned throwing, brushwork, and different firing methods. In 1920 Leach and Hamada Shoji went to England where Leach Pottery began. During their early firings only 10-15% of the pots were successful since neither of them were very experienced.  I liked the design and colors as well as the shape of this pot. 

  Bernard Leach was born in Hong Kong in 1887. He attended the Slade School of Fine Art and The London School of Art where he studied etching. In 1911, Bernard attended a pottery party, which was his first introduction to the art of ceramics. He met Shoji Hamada in 1919 and went back to England with him in 1920. This is when Leach began the Leach Pottery in St. Ives, Cornwall, England. 

  Known as the “Father of British studio pottery,” Bernard Leach, like Shoji Hamada, brought forth a significant art history movement. Leach took on the apprenticeship of sixth-generation Japanese potters who followed an Edo period artist called Ogata Kenzan. He managed to earn the title of Kenzan VII—a name for seventh-generation Kenzan potters—before returning to England and finding Leach Pottery in Cornwall, England, with Shoji Hamada. Most of Leach’s pottery was traditionally designed with Asian styles, specifically raku ware. This movement consists of Japanese hand-molded earthenware glazed with a lead in Kyoto in the 16th century. Wares were originally designed for tea ceremonies until the raku style created artwork from existing forms of art. Throughout his career, Leach helped organize the International Conference of Potters and Weavers and apprenticed many artists who followed his art style and beliefs at Leach Pottery until he lost eyesight. Before his death in May 1979, ...

There were many aspects of this video that I found to be very interesting. One thing that amazed me was the fact that even though Shoji Hamada had many workers to help him through the process, he decorated every pot himself. Even after the pots were finished in the kiln, he continued to sketch every pot and their designs to remember them. This seemed to be very time consuming, but Hamada always looked like he was enjoying himself. He also loved to let his grandchildren paint designs on some of the pots even though they were worth $5000 a piece. Another thing I found interesting was how a resistance glaze was applied to the designs on the pot before the final glaze was put on, so the designs wouldn't be covered up. 

       After watching this video I found it very interesting when they started talking about the different kiln's that they used and how one can fit 3000 different pots in it which is fired every 6 weeks, the salt glazed kiln can only fit 300 pots and the enamel kiln that was fired to 1300 degrees every 3 days. I didn't realize how much work went into making ceramics and how many different jobs there were for people to do. The door of each chamber were bricked up after they were full and then covered with fine sand in order to keep he heat inside. They used a lot of wood to fire the kiln and had teams that would ensure each chamber was continuously lit with fire. I found it interesting that it took 3 days and 3 nights to fire the kiln completely. Each pot was directly decorated by Hamada even though most of his workers were in charge of glazing them.

      What I found interesting about this video was how Hamada preserved art/furniture from many cultures. He converted the first house that he purchased into a museum appreciating his art and art from many different backgrounds. The art that he collected was not just from famous artists, but from anonymous craftsmen. The video mentions him having collected 300 17th century Windsor chairs from America and England, old Spanish chests, etc. I also found it interesting that when he traveled to American antique shops looking at Pennsylvania Dutch pottery and other works of art, he would sketch what he saw down on a notepad so that he would not forget the art that he saw. At around 5:00 in the video, it shows pots that he was making using the throw and coil method, and he later started etching his sugarcane design onto the pot. Later we see the workers bringing the pots down a hill where they will be glazed. I had anxiety when seeing them carry the pots like that, sometimes mo...

  Bernard Leach was a British studio pottery and art teacher.  He is regarded as the "Father of British studio pottery" This is Bernard Leach's Spherical Vase that he made in 1927.  Leach promoted pottery as a combination of Western and Eastern arts and philosophies. His work focused on traditional Korean, Japanese and Chinese p ottery , in combination with traditional techniques from England and Germany, such as slipware and glass  ware. This piece of pottery stood out to me because of the shape and the design.  I like that it was sphere, it gives a feeling of simplicity. 

 Bernard Leach is a British potter who influenced contemporary ceramic design. He was born in January of 1887 (Hong Kong) and died in May 1979. Leach took up pottery in 1911 and apprenticed himself to the sixth generation of Japanese potters working in the tradition of Ogata Kenzan. In 1920 Leach returned to England with his friend and master potter Shoji Hamada. There, they established Leach Pottery in St. Ives, Cornwall, England. Leach produced ceramics in the tradition of Asian Pottery, especially raku. He has many written works of pottery manuals/biographies. He is regarded as the "Father of British Studio Pottery". 

     The YouTube video, Master Potter Shoji Hamada , shows the life of and creating individual artworks by Shoji Hamada in Moscow in 1970. I enjoyed watching Hamada design the plates from 8:41 to 10:29. I loved that each design he made for the plates was different in color or size and shape.

 Bernard Leech was a British art teacher, and is known as "Father of British studio pottery". A pivotal time in Leech's life was when he was invited to a raku party with a friend. He was so amazed by the firing process that that is when he decided he wanted to do ceramics. He learned the purpose of brush work decoration in the ancient style , throwing and the many different kinds of firing methods. Leech pottery, founded in 1920.   In 1921 Leach and Hamada produced individual pieces of stoneware in the three-chamber, wood-burning climbing kiln. In the round, up-draught kiln they were making decorated earthenware dishes, slip decorated, lead-glazed tableware and raku. Trees and Rhododendron were used for firing. Only 10-15 % of their pots were successful. I really like this piece because the vase is different than how vases are usually made nowadays. I also like the colors and the square pattern on the vase.

        Bernard Leach was born in 1887 in Hong Kong. He attended the London School of Art where he studied etching. In 1920 Leach moved back to England where he and Shoji Hamada started Leach Pottery. This went on to become a well known pottery studio within England. There he produced ceramics in the tradition of Asian pottery, especially Raku. Later, on Leach went to Japan to help Shoji Hamada open his pottery studio. Leach also wrote the manual A Potter's Book in 1940, and biographies Kenzan and His  Tradition   in 1966 and Hamada, Potter in 1975. 

The video was very informative on the process of what Shoji Hamada does to create his thousands of artworks. There were a few things that have caught my attention throughout the video. The first thing was Shoji Hamada had hired workers to help him out. The workers would carry several pots on a board down a hill as if it was just a pizza pie. If I were a worker of Hamada's, I would be terrified of dropping everything while making my way down the hill. Another thing that had caught my attention was that Hamada had allowed his grandchildren to design on some of his work. The last thing that had caught my attention was the bristle on the brushes he used. Hamada had used handmade brushes for his projects. The bristles of the brushes were made out of dog hair. Normally you hear that the bristles on a paintbrush are made of horse hair, not dog fur!

  Shoji Hamada Video- I found it interesting that Shoji Hamada had so many people working with him on the pots. I also thought it was funny how he would let his grandchildren paint his pots that were worth $5,000. The workers glaze Hamadas bowls and then give them to him to design. All of Hamada's materials used were natural. He would use wood ash, mashico rock, and rice husk ash are a few of the materials he would use to make glazes. He had many of his own design techniques such as the wax off resist technique that would make a design after the glaze was poured over it. My favorite part of the video was how they fired the pots in the kiln. They would put hundreds of pieces in at a time and they had to brick up the holes of the kiln when it was full. They would then put wet sand over the brick to keep the heat in. Hamada would give the Buddhist offering of sake and salt to the gods for good luck before he fired the kiln. There was a lot of hard work that went into making beautiful ...

  Shoji Hamada was born in 1894 in Tokyo, Japan. He graduated from Tokyo Technical College in 1916 when he then enrolled at Kyoto Ceramics Research. He traveled all over in order to learn about different ceramic traditions. He has used the poured glaze technique, where he creates patterns by pouring glaze over a plate with a ladle.   He also traveled to the US with Soetsu Yanagi to teach ceramic workshops. He received the Tochigi Prefecture Culture Award and Minister of Education Award for Art. He was then designated a Living National Treasure in 1955. He had many other accomplishments and was considered one of the most influential potters of the 20th century.  

His art is found all over the world including the multiple prestigious art institutions in the United States Shoji Hamada, arguably one of greatest potters of the 20th century, had a very interesting way of life. His relationship with his artistry was depicted very clearly in the video. He utilized many different tools and introduced many different techniques to the world of pottery. His art form developed throughout his lifetime and he was a very successful potter. His art is still on display around the world today.  He would draw obsessively and sketch every piece of art he ever created. I enjoyed watching the kiln scenes because these old fashioned kilns are very different from the one we have in the classroom. The "turbulent fire" as they called it was roaring and pottery seemed much more dangerous them. Shoji created masterpieces in these amazing machines and revolutionized the pottery world.

 The Shoji Hamada video was very interesting. I found it very fascinating that he has such a huge kiln that could fit 3,000 works of pottery in. As well as he had workers physically cutting and bringing trees to the kiln. I thought it was crazy how Hamada use to let his grandson take 1 pot from each batch to paint and would sell it for $5000. The one thing that stood out to me the most was that Hamada would collect fur from an Akita to make paint brushes. I could only imagine how long it would take to place each strand together to create a pain brush.

 One thing that I found interesting in the video was the fact that Hamada would craft the pottery himself, but then had workers that would glaze these new pots. I expected him to be the one glaze each piece of art himself. However, I did enjoy that he decorated every pot himself. Each piece of art is decorated very similarly. Not only did he use a similar color palette for each pottery, but any drawings he would put on the pieces were all very similar to one another. The fact that he made sure to decorate each pottery himself shows that he cared about his artwork, and would not settle for someone else finishing off his masterpiece. 

Shoji Hamada what is a Japanese Pottery master who lived from 1894-1978. His style of pottery differs with almost every piece. From his boxy design on vases to his cirucular more sleek looking designs. But one thing that usually is the same is his colors and his artistic design on the piece. I chose this piece by Shōji because I think this is his most interesting piece that I saw. The boxy vase look is really cool to me and I love the artistry he put on the front of that vase . 

 One thing that I found fascinating about the video was the amount of pride and privacy Hamada took into account when making his pottery. His friend of 50 years, Sakaha Sensi and his neighbor Shimokah Sensi were the only ones invited to the kiln opening. He shows them all the great detail he did and they discussed about the designs in the pottery that he made. I also found it very cool that he sketched every piece of pottery that he made so that he remembers. My favorite piece that was shown in  the video is the  over-glazed enamel pattern. It was 2 squares and although it was very simple it looked very different and elegant. I thought it was very cool to find out the piece of pottery that do not come out perfect are placed throughout his compound as decoration collecting leaves and water. 

I found the decorating process and firing process interesting, they would all work hard to make sure everything went smoothly each time. The firing process took a lot longer than I would have expected it to, so it was interesting to learn about. Hamada made his own brushes from Akita dog hair to use for decorating the pots. To make his glazes he would burn rice into ash and then mix it with water; this was just one way he would make a glaze. When decorating his pots, he was known to use a bamboo or sugarcane pattern. He would use wax to make a resist design for when another glaze was poured over the patterns. Hamada would decorate as the workers would load each piece into the kiln. They would block each door of the kiln with bricks and fine wet sand in order to keep the heat in. Each firing took three days and nights to complete. His workers would work in 4-hour shifts and sleep when they weren’t working. Each side of the kiln would be stoked simultaneously by workers until it would re...

     One thing I found interesting from watching the video was the different designs Shoji Hamada put on his work. For example he used the paraffin wax to make his bamboo designs before another glaze was done that would make the bamboo art work be shown. He also did his finger pulled eyes design. Next design that was shown was the ladle pour design. Now this one is probably one of my favorite designs because of the contrast between the dark and white and how each ladle pour has a different look. While he was decorating the pots, he even allowed 2 of his grandchildren decorate. I thought that was really kind of him to do that. That shows that he's caring and compassionate that he would allow his grandchildren to decorate these expensive pieces of work ($5,000)!! I mentioned in my other blog post about how Shoji Made his own brushes out of dog's fur. That is really interesting to me and it was neat to actually see the brushes and how a brush could get made out of a dog's fu...

 Shoji Hamada was a Japanese Potter who significantly influenced studio pottery of the twentieth century. In the video, it said he was very big on sketching everything, it was his own method of remembering and engraving it into his head. He collected folks art of all cultures and endowed 6 museums in Japan with his own collections. He also served as a director of museums in Tokyo. I really liked the salt glaze batter bowl he had made. It was simple and beautiful, definitely different from anything I have ever seen.  Throughout a lifetime dedicated to making pottery he achieved international recognition and his works have been collected by museums across the world. Today Hamada's works attain high prices at auction.

Shoji Hamada was a great Japanese potter who took over the ceramics industry as one of the most prominent artists of the 20th century. He was born in 1894 and lived until he was 84 years old. He has set up multiple studios in his lifetime and worked with other influential artists such as Beard Leach. He helped bring Japanese language and glazing into popularity after he graduated from Tokyo Technical college and Kyoto ceramics research. In 1949 he received the great accolade the Tochigi Prefecture Culture Award. This was one of his many honors amongst when he was designated as a “living national treasure” in 1955. He also published a collection of his work in 1961 so that his art could reach more people. He reinvented the world of ceramics by his use of materials. His studio, in the town of Mashiko, used only locally sourced clay and he made the brushes to glaze his ceramics with from the hair of dogs found in his town.  His art is found all over the world including the multiple pr...

 Shoji Hamada was a Japanese potter who lived from December 1894 to January 1978. He had a large impact on studio pottery of the twentieth century, and he established the Japanese town of Mashiko as a renowned pottery center. His ceramics have simple designs that convey an elegant beauty. He worked with another ceramicist named Bernard Leach. His studio only used locally sourced clay, and in the video it stated that he made his brushes out of the fur or his pet Akitas. In Japan he is declared a "Living National Treasure". Shoji's works are in the collections of the Art Institute of Chicago, the Carnegie Museum of Art in Pittsburgh, and the Philadelphia Museum of Art. The video on Shoji Hamada really showcased his love for his work. He spends much time and puts lots of detail into his work. I like how he has his whole family join in on the ceramic process. His pieces should sell for over 10,000 dollars a piece, but he wants everyone to be able to enjoy his work so he price...

  Shoji Hamada (1894-1978) was a Japanese potter whose works created a new artistic movement that influenced the 20th century. Hamada officially began pottery in his ceramics course at the Tokyo Industrial College (now renamed the Tokyo Institute of Technology) and landed a job at the Ceramic Testing Institute in Kyoto once he graduated. After gaining an interest in and forming a friendship with artist Bernard Leach, he assisted Bernard with pottery in Cornwall, England, for three years. The two artists’ influence on each other catalyzed the Mingei movement—a return to making art through the hands without materials—in pottery. The word “Mingei” means “folk art” and was derived from The Unkown Craftsman by Soetsu Yanagi, reflecting the belief that “real art” was made by an anonymous craftsman, someone who was not consciously attempting to make “art.” Following this philosophy led Hamada to create beautiful pottery without his name on them, such as the picture chosen for this assign...

       Shoji Hamada (1894-1978) is regarded as one of the most influential potters of the 20th century. After joining the Ceramics Research at Kyoto, he traveled around the world to learn more about the diversity of ceramics. Hamada, along with Soetsu Yanagi and Bernard Leach also traveled throughout the US to provide workshops for ceramics. Folk ceramics such as English medieval pottery, Okinawan stoneware, and Korean pottery influenced his works the most. Because of these influences, he tried to draw as much as possible from these folk ceramics. Hamada's work went on to influence many potters around the world.       One piece of his art that I found interesting is this ceramic vase that he made, titled vase in kakewake . This vase is not like your typical round vase that you see, it is instead geometrical and evenly sided. The painting on it is mysterious and up to interpretation, however to me, it is almost like you're looking at the treetops o...

Shoji Hamada was a very talented Japanese potter who lived from December 9, 1894 to January 5, 1978. He was widely recognized as one of the most influential potters of the twentieth century. Hamada traveled to the US to teach and give workshops on his ceramics. He also traveled to gain experience and learn about different styles of pottery. Although many different traditions influenced his work, all his pieces remain very unique to his own style. He received recognitions for his work from the emperor and was awarded both the Okinawa Times Award and the Order of Culture. I picked the 9-sided jar because I liked how the shape of it was very unique, and when you think of a jar you don't think of it to have 9 sides and this is what makes the piece so different. Also the paint marks in the middle are very interesting because they don't depict a specific image, but instead he leaves it up to your imagination. Lastly, the medium that was used in making this piece was reduced stoneware...

  Shoji Hamada was a very talented artist who worked with ceramics and pottery. In the 20th century, Hamada traveled all over to gain experience and learn all about the history and traditions of ceramics. There were many things that influenced Hamada's style of ceramics such as English medieval pottery, Okinawan stoneware, and Korean pottery. Hamada received many awards for his work like the Tochigi Prefecture Culture Award and Minister of Education Award for Art. After looking at several of Hamadas work i realized they all have there own unique look whether it is from there shape or the markings on each. I liked this vase because of the different colors and patterns on it. How it goes from dark colors with several curved lines to just a plain white color is very interesting. I especially liked his pottery works that were not the generic shape of a bowl or vase and that had some texture to them. 

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XdfsDDg2s3s&t=34s

Shoji Hamada has some very interesting work. His ceramics go from very simple to very intricate pieces of work. I chose this vase because I think it is very interesting. I have never seen a vase this same before. I think it is interesting how most of it is very boxy and how he was able to make the base and the mouth of the vase more narrow. I also love the painting style he chooses for his work.

     Shoji Hamada was a Japanese potter that was born in 1894. Hamada had a significant impact in the pottery world. He was an important member of the mingei folk-art movement. This movement challenged society's definition of art. It was believed that only artisans can produce art. This movement was created to show that average people could also produce everyday objects as well.       The image above is a square bottle vase that Shoji Hamada had created. This vase is worth about 4,400 euros making that about 5,240 USD. What caught my attention was that it is a bottle-- a square bottle. My definition of a bottle is something that looks also like a cylinder, not a square. Besides the shape being different, I love the pattern that Hamada had used on the bottle. The separation of patterns makes the vase seem sophisticated.   

  Shōji Hamada attended the Tokyo Institute of Technology, which is where he began his career in ceramics. His pottery greatly influenced the pottery of the twentieth century as well as the mingei folk-art movement. Hamada used only locally sourced materials in both his clay and his glazes. He made his glazes and brushes himself from dog hair and bamboo. His work is displayed in museums around the world, including a memorial museum for others to view his life and his work in Mashiko, Japan.